session 2

Session Two: Motivating Writers and Enhancing Communication with Blogs

Statistically speaking, there is a new blog created every 11 seconds. The readings for this week will highlight the many ways in which school and classroom blogs can motivate learning in the classroom and enhance communication between schools, families, and students around the world. You will view some exemplary examples of classroom blogs and discuss how you might use a blog for your own purposes. You'll also have an opportunity to create your own blog which we will use as an additional tool for learning and reflection on the content of this workshop.


Readings

* Blogs: Webs of Connected Learning
This article highlights the many ways that blogging can be used for educational purposes while also acknowledging the challenges of integrating this tool in the classroom.
* To Blog or Not to Blog? You Decide
Read pages 28-33 as Wes Fryer outlines the pros and cons of blogging and provides some great examples and information for how to get started.

Information on "Blogging the Verb"
Read these three blog entries that highlight how blogging differs from traditional journaling and helps to build learning communities.

* Blogs Growing Up (Will Richardson)
* Blogging? Writing? Feeling? (Will Richardson)
* Blog, blogged, blogging, to blog, blogger (Steve Dembo)



Activities

1. Explore several examples of how some teachers and students are using blogs to enhance learning. These examples come from around the globe. How are teachers using this to foster student learning? How are students using the blogs to interact with each other? How can blogs such as these improve the home/school connection?
* Cool Cat Teacher's Student Blog
* Ms. Baker's Biology Blog
* Mr. Coyle’s Grade 8 Humanities Blog
* Sandaig Otters Weblog
* Students 2.0
* Anne Smith's Learning Blog
2.

The best way to understand blogging is to create your own blog. In this session you will set up your own blog and use it both to reflect on what you are learning and to interact with fellow participants throughout the remainder of this workshop. Feel free to also share the link to your blog with others in your personal and professional communities who may be interested in reading your reflections.

Set up a classroom blog using either Edublogger or 21 Classess. Both are tailored specifically to classroom use with features to enhance privacy and security. If you are not a classroom teacher- you may consider pairing up with a teacher who wants to experiment with classroom blogging. (If you currently have your own blog using another blogging system, you can share the link and use it for this assignment.)
* Edublogs
"Edublogs" is a free education blogging tool powered by WordPress that is secure and free of advertising. To get started, follow the instructions in this document.
* 21 Classes
“21Classes lets teachers set up and manage a multi-user blog solution with independent blogs for students instantly and easily.” If you intend to have your students create their own blogs, take the time to set up the free account.
3. Complete Section II of your planning template



Discussion

1. Share the link to your blog site so others can access your blog. Also, in the discussion for this week, share your ideas about how you would want to use a blog for educational purposes in your classrooms, schools, or districts.
2. Make sure to respond to at least one other message posted by a colleague in the discussion board and leave a comment on at least two of your colleagues' blogs.

additional resources

Optional Reading

* State of the Blogosphere, April 2007
* Let Them Blog: Using Weblogs to Advance Literacy in the K-12 Classroom .
* Blogging: Best Practices Wiki
* Successful and Safe Educational Blogging

This article defines blogging and provides practical tips for getting started with classroom blogs.